Parsha: Tzav, Lev 6:1-8:36, Machi 3:4-24, Hebrews 8:1-6

To our 9:00 am Shabbat Ark of Prayer and the Mishpacha within,

Tzav means “Command.” It expresses a command from G‑d about the donation of offerings in the Sanctuary, relating to the general concept of giving charity. But Tzav has also another meaning: “Connect.” It expresses the idea that G‑d’s laws establish a connection between the individual and G‑d.

Considering our relationships / connections at TAJ or in our homes, for a broken relationship to be restored / reconnected it requires actions from both parties, the offender and the offended.

Restoration requires that the offender repent. True repentance requires the offender to a) recognize the harm they have caused, b) commit to not causing that harm again, and c) do what is necessary to make amends to the one they harmed by attempting to make restitution or in some way repair the harm.

For the offended, it requires forgiving the offender. True forgiveness means not bringing up the offense at a later time as a weapon and no longer feeling angry or violated.

Restoration also often requires time to rebuild trust between the parties. Although repentance and forgiveness must come first, the offended often needs to gage the truthfulness and strength of the offender’s desire to not cause that or other harm in the future. Trust can typically only be built with time and experience.

The process that G-d lays out in the parsha, describes part of the process that the offender needs to follow to make amends to G-d, the offended.

G-d’s hand is seen everywhere. Step 8 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous says, “We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.”

How will this parsha impact your prayers this week and this Shabbat?

I look forward to hearing what G-d has shared with you this week and how we should pray for TAJ.